Corset.



Patnted Apr. I, |902.

P. J. MENAHAN.

CORSET.

(Application mad Jan. 2s, i900.)

(No Model.)

Il l @6v/ra,

Nrrnn @retries arnivr rieten,

PATRICK J. MENAIIAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CORSET..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,465, dated April 1,1902.

Application filed January 23, 1900. Serial No. 2,463. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PATRICK J. MENAHAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Corsets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The improvement relates to that class of corsets in which the waist isless yielding than the portions above and below. I employ stiffeningstays orbones extending, it may be, the Whole distance from the top tothe bottom of the corset, secured, preferably, in pockets formed bylines of stitches extending up and down. These stays may perform in allrespects their ordinary functions, but by my invention the curvature atthe waist, as well as the liability of the several stiffeners to breakat that level, is reduced. I provide reinforcing-springs in the form offlat metal blades, shorter and most advantageously wider than thebefore-mentioned stiffening stays or ribs. Each end spring may bepreviously and snugly inclosed in a wider and longer sackor case ofmuslim-stitched up and down each side and also across each end. In

, attaching the several parts of the corset together this sack isintroduced at the proper height to reinforce the waist and is held inplace by stitching through the edge at one side, or preferably throughboth edges of the sack at each side of the wide reinforcingspring. Vhen,as I prefer, two or more of the narrow stays are arranged close togetherin what is sometimes termed a battery, it is advantageous to have thestouter reinforcing-spring ofa width equal`,or nearly so, to two or moreof the stays, and, in fact, equal, or nearly so, to the width of thegroup. In said latter case the same line of stitches which form theouter boundary of the group may be the stitches to engage the fabric atthe edge of the sack, and thus hold the reinforcingspring.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying ont the invention. I

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is an elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of a corsetmade in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online 2 of Fig. l. section on line 3 of Fig. l. Fig. et is an ele-Vation, partly broken away, of another portion of the corset. Fig. 5 isa view correspending with Fig. 2, but giving less details, while showinga larger portion of the corset; and Fig. G is an enlargement of aportion of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figureswherein they appear.

A is the muslin or other fabric constituting the main body of thecorset, properly gered and joined to give the required qualities, andespecially the general graceful form desired.

B represents flat stays or whalebones extending up and down the wholelength of the corset or so much thereof as may be desired. Asshow`n,they lie immediately adjacent Vto each other and are separatelyinclosed in pockets formed by the aid of front and rear strips O offabric, joined together by parallel lines ofstitching D, constitutingwhatis sometimes termed a battery of stiffeners, all in the ordinarymanner, except for the additions howto be described.

E is a shorter iiat spring, of steel, of a width, as shown, half or lessthan half its length and about equal to that of the whole battery,inclosed in paperF and held between two layers of muslin or otherflexible material G, secured against end movement therein by a line ofstitching II, extending across each end. In the man ufacture of thecorset this short spring E thus inclosed is best placed between thebattery of stays B and the body fabric A and is secured permanently atthe proper height to fit in the quick curve at the waist. The fabric Grconstitutes an inclosed sack with an edge G extending in or near theplane of the spring. The stitching II across the upper and lower ends ofthe spring E insures against the displacement of the latter upward ordownward, except by carrying the sack G with it. The lines of stitchesD, which extend up and down the corset on each side of the battery ofstays B may serve as the stitches to engage in the corresponding edgesof the sack Gr, or a separate line of stitches may be put in one side oron each side, if desired.

The spring E, as shown, is thicker than the stays B; but springs of athickness equal to or even less than that of the stays B can be Fig. 3is a cross- IOC ' used. I esteem it preferable to have the spring E ofthin steel and the stays B of thicker bone or other material. Y

The close-fitted paper envelop F and the loosely-held woven fabric G notonly provide a reliable and convenient means of holding the short springE in place, but also insure a considerable thickness of material betweenit and the stays B. They avoid their adhesion from any cause and allowgreat freedom for the slight but desirable end motion of the partsrelatively to each other in consequence of movement of the wearer whichinvolves a change of curvature at the waist.

The greater width of the short spring E is of advantage in holding thebattery of stays evenly in position and avoiding irregularities andtwisting. It may be advantageous and a special improvement to give apermanent set or curvature to the short springs E, although straightsprings are satisfactory, the curvature -of which depending solely uponthe shape of the corset or the figure of the wearer. The long stays Bcan have either a permanent set or curvature or acquire such by theshape ofthe corset or ligure of the wearer.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of the invention. What I have described asstays B,cxtending the whole height, may be bones or various othermaterial, including narrow steel. The short spring E, of greater widththan the stays, may be applied under a single ordinary bone or stay B;but in such cases the lines of stitches at the edges must becorrespondingly modified to allow for the greater width of the spring E.The stay B may be of considerable Width,if desired, however; butwhatever the width of said stay the spring E, enveloped in its sack Gand secured, as described, may be but little, if any, vWider than saidstay B. I propose sometimes to reinforce one or each of the front steelsM N by a strip E of less length, which need not have any excess ofwidth; but the sack G G therefor should have an excess of width, so thatthe same line of stitches D may perform the double function of holdingthe long steel in place laterally and holding the sack G with .itsinclosed spring E in place both laterally andlongitudinally. The springsE, with their sacks G G to aid in holding them, can be used inconnection with all or only part of the stays B in a corset. Ifdesiredto use no more, a corset may contain only one such spring, which can beplaced wherever preferred-as, for example, on the lap-section orright-hand portion of the corset-front.

There Vmay be a great variety of the forms, but the several parts I haveshown are those for one of the simplest styles of corsets. stays B mayextend at various inclinations instead of directly up and down. Theremay be two or more thicknesses of the body fabric A.

The sack G need not be sewed up and down before its introduction intoplace. It may with proper care be made to serve with the stitches I-Ipreviously sewed across the top and bottom only of the inclosed springE, leaving the sides to be secured by the same lines of stitches D whichform the boundaries of the batteries.

I claim as my invention-- In a corset, a system of stays composed of astiffener and reinforce individually cased and connected by theircasings so as to be movable relatively to each other and provided with alayer of paper between them in addition to the cloth, so as to increasetheir freedom of motion, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I aiiix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

P. J. MENAIIAN.

Witnesses:

EsrELLA SoULT, J. B. CLAUTICE.

